Drone control device

ABSTRACT

In one general aspect, a drone control device includes a body, a motor that is configured to move the body, a network module, an input module, and a processor. The network module is configured to communicate with a security system that monitors a property and receive data associated with a location within the property. The input module is configured to receive user input. The processor is configured to perform operations that include: determine, from among the location within the property and other locations within the property, a target location within the property; move the body to the target location within the property by providing a signal to the motor; receive, from the input module, input data that is associated with an operation of the security system; and in response to receiving the input data, perform the operation of the security system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/402,312, filed Jan. 10, 2018, now allowed, which claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/280,928 filed on Jan. 20,2016. The content of the prior applications are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to home monitoring technology.

BACKGROUND

Security companies often provide security services to residential andcommercial properties. Security services may include monitoringproperties for alarm events, which may include security breaches,floods, fires, or carbon monoxide poisoning. The properties may includea security panel that communicates alarm signal information to a centralalarm station, which transmits a signal to dispatch emergency respondersin response to detecting the presence of an alarm event.

SUMMARY

Techniques are described for using a drone control device as areplacement for a control panel of a property monitoring system. Forexample, the drone control device may automatously function as a dronedevice and also have the capability to monitor, control, and adjust theoperations of components within a monitoring system. In this regard, auser (e.g., a property owner or occupant) may use the drone controldevice to monitor property-related information independently of aspecified location and also perform various types of location-basedsurveillance operations. Use of the drone control device to monitorproperty information is therefore advantageous to the use of traditionaldrone devices to perform such operations because of drone control unitmay control a monitoring system much like a control unit. In addition,use of the drone control device is also advantageous to the use of fixedlocation control units because the drone control device may autonomouslynavigate to different regions of the property, enabling the execution oflocation-specific monitoring operations in various circumstances.

For example, the drone control device may be capable of performingprocessing capabilities, periodically exchanging communications withother electronic devices within a property, and transmitting electronicalerts and notifications to authorized users in response to detecting analarm event near or within the property. In some examples, the dronecontrol device may be a fully autonomous device within a monitoringsystem. In other examples, the drone control device may be acomplementary device to a security panel of a monitoring system.

In one general aspect, a drone control device includes a body, a motorthat is configured to move the body, a network module, an input module,and a processor. The network module is configured to communicate with asecurity system that monitors a property and receive data associatedwith a location within the property. The input module is configured toreceive user input. The processor is configured to perform operationsthat include: determine, from among the location within the property andother locations within the property, a target location within theproperty; move the body to the target location within the property byproviding a signal to the motor; receive, from the input module, inputdata that is associated with an operation of the security system; and inresponse to receiving the input data, perform the operation of thesecurity system.

In another general aspect, a computer-implemented method can include:receiving, by a drone control device that is associated with a securitysystem that monitors a property, data associated with a location withinthe property; based on the data associated with the location within theproperty, determining, from among the location and other locationswithin the property, a target location within the property;automatically navigating, by the drone control device, to the targetlocation within the property; receiving, by the drone control device, auser input that is associated with an operation of the security system;and performing, by the drone control device, the operation of thesecurity system.

Implementations of the described techniques may include hardware, amethod or process implemented at least partially in hardware, or acomputer-readable storage medium encoded with executable instructionsthat, when executed by a processor, perform operations.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will beapparent from the description and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a system thatincludes a drone control device.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a property thatincludes a drone control device.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a process for performing operationsusing a drone control device.

FIG. 4A illustrates an example of a process for automatically providingan interface for output by a drone control device to a specified userlocation.

FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of a property where an example dronecontrol device automatically provides an interface for output at aspecified user location.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of a process for automatically performingan emergency action using a drone control device.

FIG. 5B illustrates a top view of a property where an example dronecontrol device automatically performs an emergency action.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a process for using a drone controldevice to verify the identity of a user who enters a property.

FIG. 6B illustrates a top view of a property where an example dronecontrol device automatically verifies the identity of a user who entersa property

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a process for performing operations ofa security system using a drone control device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example of an electronic system100 configured to perform monitoring control operations using a dronedevice. The electronic system 100 includes a network 105, a dronecontrol device 110, sensors 122, HVAC components 124, appliances 126,cameras 128, auxiliary drone devices 130, one or more user devices 140,150, and a monitoring application server 160.

The network 105 is configured to enable exchange of electroniccommunications between devices connected to the network 105. Forexample, the network 105 may be configured to enable exchange ofelectronic communications between the drone control device 110, thesensors 122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances 126, the cameras128, the auxiliary drone devices 130, the one or more user devices 140,150, and the monitoring application server 160. The network 105 mayinclude, for example, one or more of the Internet, Wide Area Networks(WANs), Local Area Networks (LANs), analog or digital wired and wirelesstelephone networks (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN),Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), a cellular network, andDigital Subscriber Line (DSL)), radio, television, cable, satellite, orany other delivery or tunneling mechanism for carrying data. Network 105may include multiple networks or subnetworks, each of which may include,for example, a wired or wireless data pathway. The network 105 mayinclude a circuit-switched network, a packet-switched data network, orany other network able to carry electronic communications (e.g., data orvoice communications). For example, the network 105 may include networksbased on the Internet protocol (IP), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM),the PSTN, packet-switched networks based on IP, X.25, or Frame Relay, orother comparable technologies and may support voice using, for example,VoIP, or other comparable protocols used for voice communications. Thenetwork 105 may include one or more networks that include wireless datachannels and wireless voice channels. The network 105 may be a wirelessnetwork, a broadband network, or a combination of networks including awireless network and a broadband network.

The drone control device 110 may be an unmanned device that is capableof movement and monitoring the operations of devices located within aproperty. For example, the drone control device 110 may be capable ofmoving throughout a property based on automated control technologyand/or control signals provided by either the user or by the applicationserver 160. In such an example, the drone control device 110 may be ableto fly, roll, walk, or otherwise move about a property. The dronecontrol device 110 may include helicopter type devices (e.g., quadcopters), rolling helicopter type devices (e.g., roller copter devicesthat can fly and also roll along the grounds, walls, or ceiling), landvehicle type devices (e.g., automated cars that drive around aproperty), and plane type devices (e.g., unmanned aircraft). In someinstances, the drone control device 110 may be drone devices that areintended for other purposes and merely associated with the system 100for use in appropriate circumstances. For instance, a security drone maybe associated with the system 100 as the drone control device 110 andmay be controlled to take action responsive to monitoring system events.

The drone control unit 110 includes a controller 112 and a networkmodule 114. The controller 112 is configured to control a monitoringsystem (e.g., a home alarm or security system) that includes the dronecontrol device 110. In some examples, the controller 112 may include aprocessor or other control circuitry configured to execute instructionsof a program that controls operation of an alarm system. In theseexamples, the controller 112 may be configured to receive input fromsensors, detectors, or other devices included in the alarm system andcontrol operations of devices included in the alarm system or otherhousehold devices (e.g., a thermostat, an appliance, lights, etc.). Forexample, the controller 112 may be configured to control operation ofthe network module 114 included in the drone control device 110.

The network module 114 is a communication device configured to exchangecommunications over the network 105. The network module 114 may be awireless communication module configured to exchange wirelesscommunications over the network 105. For example, the network module 114may be a wireless communication device configured to exchangecommunications over a wireless data channel and a wireless voicechannel. In this example, the network module 114 may transmit alarm dataover a wireless data channel and establish a two-way voice communicationsession over a wireless voice channel. The wireless communication devicemay include one or more of a LTE module, a GSM module, a radio modem,cellular transmission module, or any type of module configured toexchange communications in one of the following formats: LTE, GSM orGPRS, CDMA, EDGE or EGPRS, EV-DO or EVDO, UMTS, or IP.

In some implementations, components of the network module 114 may belocated in a charging station associated with the drone control unit110. These components of the network module 114 may be a wiredcommunication module configured to exchange communications over thenetwork 105 using a wired connection. For instance, the components ofthe network module 114 may be a modem, a network interface card, oranother type of network interface device. The components of the networkmodule 114 may also be an Ethernet network card configured to enable thedrone control device 110 to communicate over a local area network and/orthe Internet. The components of the network module 114 also may be avoiceband modem configured to enable the alarm panel to communicate overthe telephone lines of Plain Old Telephone Systems (POTS). In suchimplementations, the drone control device 110 may utilize the wiredcomponents of the network module 114 to exchange wired datacommunications when docked at the charging station, and use wirelesscommunications when not docked onto the charging station.

In some examples, drone control device 110 automatically navigateswithin a property. In these examples, the drone control device 110include sensors and control processors that guide movement of the dronecontrol device 110 within the property. For instance, the drone controldevice 110 may navigate within the property using one or more cameras,one or more proximity sensors, one or more gyroscopes, one or moreaccelerometers, one or more magnetometers, a global positioning system(GPS) unit, an altimeter, one or more sonar or laser sensors, and/or anyother types of sensors that aid in navigation about a space. The dronecontrol device 110 may include control processors that process outputfrom the various sensors and control the drone control device 110 tomove along a path that reaches the desired destination and avoidsobstacles. In this regard, the control processors detect walls or otherobstacles in the property and guide movement of the drone control device110 in a manner that avoids the walls and other obstacles.

In addition, the drone control device 110 may store data that describesattributes of the property. For instance, the drone control device 110may store a floorplan and/or a three-dimensional model of the propertythat enables the drone control device 110 to navigate the property.During initial configuration, the drone control device 110 may receivethe data describing attributes of the property, determine a frame ofreference to the data (e.g., a home or reference location in theproperty), and navigate the property based on the frame of reference andthe data describing attributes of the property. Further, initialconfiguration of the drone control device 110 also may include learningof one or more navigation patterns in which a user provides input tocontrol the drone control device 110 to perform a specific navigationaction (e.g., fly to an upstairs bedroom and spin around while capturingvideo and then return to a home charging base). In this regard, thedrone control device 110 may learn and store the navigation patternssuch that the drone control device 110 may automatically repeat thespecific navigation actions upon a later request.

In some examples, the drone control device 110 may include data captureand recording devices. In these examples, the drone control device 110may include one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or moremicrophones, one or more biometric data collection tools, one or moretemperature sensors, one or more humidity sensors, one or more air flowsensors, and/or any other types of sensors that may be useful incapturing monitoring data related to the property and users in theproperty.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may include outputdevices. In these implementations, the drone control device 110 mayinclude one or more displays, one or more speakers, one or moreprojectors, and/or any type of output devices that allow the dronecontrol device 110 to communicate information to a nearby user. The oneor more projectors may include projectors that project a two-dimensionalimage onto a surface (e.g., wall, floor, or ceiling) and/or holographicprojectors that project three-dimensional holograms into a nearby space.

The drone control device 110 also may include a communication modulethat enables the drone control device 110 to communicate other devicesof the system 100. The communication module may be a wirelesscommunication module that allows the drone control device 110 tocommunicate wirelessly. For instance, the communication module may be aWi-Fi module that enables the drone control device 110 to communicateover a local wireless network at the property. The communication modulefurther may be a 900 MHz wireless communication module that enables thedrone control device 110 to communicate directly with a monitoringsystem control unit. Other types of short-range wireless communicationprotocols, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, Zwave, ZigBee, etc., may beused to allow the drone control device 110 to communicate with otherdevices in the property.

The drone control device 110 further may include processor and storagecapabilities. The drone control device 110 may include any suitableprocessing devices that enable the drone control device 110 to operateapplications and perform the actions described throughout thisdisclosure. In addition, the drone control device 110 may include solidstate electronic storage that enables the drone control device 110 tostore applications, configuration data, collected sensor data, and/orany other type of information available to the drone control device 110.

The drone control device 110 may be associated with the charging station116. The charging station 116 may be located at a predefined orreference locations within the property. The drone control device 110may be configured to navigate to the charging station 116 aftercompletion of tasks needed to be performed for the system 100. Forinstance, after completion of an operation or upon instruction by thedrone control device 110, the drone control device 110 may be configuredto automatically fly to and land on the charging station 116. In thisregard, the drone control device 110 may automatically maintain a fullycharged battery in a state in which the drone control device 110 areready for use by the system 100.

The charging station 116 may be contact-based charging stations and/orwireless charging stations. For contact based charging stations, thedrone control device 110 may have readily accessible points of contactthat the drone control device 110 are capable of positioning and matingwith a corresponding contact on the charging station 116. For instance,a helicopter type drone device may have an electronic contact on aportion of its landing gear that rests on and mates with an electronicpad of a charging station when the helicopter type drone device lands onthe charging station 116. The electronic contact on the drone device mayinclude a cover that opens to expose the electronic contact when thedrone device is charging and closes to cover and insulate the electroniccontact when the drone device is in operation.

For wireless charging stations, the drone control device 110 may chargethrough a wireless exchange of power. In these cases, the drone controldevice 110 need only locate themselves closely enough to the wirelesscharging stations for the wireless exchange of power to occur. In thisregard, the positioning needed to land at a predefined home base orreference location in the property may be less precise than with acontact-based charging station. Based on the drone control device 110landing at a wireless charging station, the wireless charging stationoutputs a wireless signal that the drone control device 110 receive andconvert to a power signal that charges a battery maintained on the dronecontrol device 110.

In some implementations, the energy source for the auxiliary dronedevice 130 may include emerging fuel sources such as hydrogen fuel. Forinstance, the auxiliary drone device 130 can include a fuel cell thatcombines hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy, electricity, heat andwater. For example, the fuel cell can be used to convert energy producedby the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to generate usableelectric power to operate the auxiliary drone device 130.

The drone control device 110 may exchange communications with thesensors 122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances 126, the cameras128, auxiliary drone devices 130, and the one or more user devices 140,150 using communication links 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137,respectively. The communication links 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137may be a wired or wireless data pathway configured to transmit signalsfrom the sensors 122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances 126, thecameras 128, auxiliary drone devices 130, and the one or more userdevices 140, 150 to the controller 112. The sensors 122, the HVACcomponents 124, the appliances 126, the cameras 128, auxiliary dronedevices 130, and the one or more user devices 140, 150 may continuouslytransmit sensed values to the controller 112, periodically transmitsensed values to the drone control device 110, or transmit sensed valuesto the drone control device 110 in response to a change in a sensedvalue.

The communication links 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137 may include alocal network. The sensors 122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances126, the cameras 128, auxiliary drone devices 130, and the one or moreuser devices 140, 150 and the drone control device 110 may exchange dataand commands over the local network. The local network may include802.11 “WiFi” wireless Ethernet (e.g., using low-power WiFi chipsets),Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, “Homeplug” or other “Powerline” networks thatoperate over AC wiring, and a Category 5 (CATS) or Category 6 (CAT6)wired Ethernet network. The local network may be a mesh networkconstructed based on the devices connected to the mesh network.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may performroutine surveillance operations on a property. For instance, the dronecontrol device 110 may be assigned to one or more particular propertieswithin a geographic location and may routinely collect surveillancefootage during specified time periods (e.g., after dark), which may thenbe transmitted to the application server 160 for transmitting back toeach particular property owner. In such implementations, the propertyowner may receive the surveillance footage over the network 105 as apart of a service provided by a security provider that operates theapplication server 160. For example, transmissions of the surveillancefootage collected by the drone control device 110 may be part of apremium security service package provided by a security provider inaddition to the routine drone emergency response service.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may monitor theoperation of the electronic devices of the system 100 such as thesensors 122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances 126, the cameras128, and/or the auxiliary drone devices 130. For instance, the dronecontrol device 110 may enable or disable the devices of the system 100based on a set of rules associated with energy consumption,user-specified settings, and/or other information associated with theconditions near or within the property where the system 100 is located.In some examples, the drone control device 110 may be used as areplacement to a traditional security panel (or monitor control unit)that is used to monitor and control the operations of the system 100. Inother examples, the drone control device 110 may coordinate monitoringoperations with a separate security panel of the system 100. In suchexamples, the drone control device 110 may monitor particular activitiesof the devices of the system 100 that are not monitored by the securitypanel, or monitor the operation of particular devices that are notmonitoring by the security panel.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may perform a setof reoccurring behaviors associated with user activities. For instance,the drone control device 110 may receive a set of instructions thatspecify a set of user activities and triggers associated with the set ofuser activities that cause the drone control device 110 to perform theset of reoccurring behaviors. For example, the drone control device 110may be used to monitor prescription usage associated with a treatmentplan and transport a periodic dosage amount in response to determiningthat the user needs to take a prescription medication. In such anexample, the drone control device 110 may automatically retrieve theappropriate amount of the prescription medication from one region of aproperty and deliver the prescription medication to another region ofthe property.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may include anaudible detection apparatus that is capable of perform particularoperations based on detecting audible patterns within a property. Forinstance, the drone control device 110 may roam around the property andin response to detecting an audible tone, the audible detectionapparatus may record the audible tone, and compare the recording againsta repository that maps a set of audible tones to different actions to beperformed. In response to matching the recording to an audible tonewithin the repository, the drone control device 110 may perform thecorresponding action specified by the reposition for the matched audibletone. For example, in response to detecting a user whistle, the dronecontrol device 110 may generate a plurality of frequency signals thatare each unique to a particular action to be performed. In someinstances, the frequency signals may be used to perform actions inresponse to audible tones that are beyond human hearing capabilities.

The system 100 also includes one or more sensors or detectors. Forexample, the monitoring system may include multiple sensors 122. Thesensors 122 may include a contact sensor, a motion sensor, a glass breaksensor, or any other type of sensor included in an alarm system orsecurity system. The sensors 122 also may include an environmentalsensor, such as a temperature sensor, a water sensor, a rain sensor, awind sensor, a light sensor, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxidedetector, an air quality sensor, etc. The sensors 122 further mayinclude a health monitoring sensor, such as a prescription bottle sensorthat monitors taking of prescriptions, a blood pressure sensor, a bloodsugar sensor, a bed mat configured to sense presence of liquid (e.g.,bodily fluids) on the bed mat, etc. In some examples, the sensors 122may include a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor thatidentifies a particular article that includes a pre-assigned RFID tag.

The HVAC components 124 may be electronic devices that may be configuredto a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of aproperty where the system 100 is located. The HVAC components 124 mayinclude, for example, a thermostat, a furnace, a humidifier, adehumidifier, an air conditioner, or other devices associated with theHVAC system of the property. The drone control device 110 may beconfigured to control the operation of the HVAC system associated withthe property. In some instances, the drone control device 110 maymonitor temperature and/or energy consumption of the HVAC systemassociated with the property based on receiving data related to activityand/or environmental data near or within the property and, in response,control the operation of the HVAC components 124. For example, the dronecontrol device 110 may enable or disable one or more of the HVACcomponents 124 based on monitoring the temperature and/or energyconsumption of the HVAC system associated with the property.

The appliances 126 may be home automation devices connected to thenetwork 105 that are configured to exchange electronic communicationswith other devices of the system 100. The appliances 126 may include,for example, connected kitchen appliances, controllable light sources,safety and security devices, energy management devices, and/or othertypes of electronic devices capable of exchanging electroniccommunications over the network 105. In some instances, the appliances126 may periodically transmit information and/or generated data to thedrone control unit 110 such that the drone control unit 110 canautomatically control the operation of the appliances 126 based on theexchanged communications. For example, the drone control unit 110 mayoperate one or more of the appliances 126 based on a fixed schedulespecified by the user. In another example, the drone control unit 110may enable or disable one or more of the appliances 126 based onreceived sensor data from the sensors 122.

The cameras 128 may be video/photographic cameras or other type ofoptical sensing devices configured to capture images. For instance, thecameras 128 may be configured to capture images of an area within abuilding monitored by the drone control device 110. The cameras 128 maybe configured to capture single, static images of the area and alsovideo images of the area in which multiple images of the area arecaptured at a relatively high frequency (e.g., thirty images persecond). The cameras 128 may be controlled based on commands receivedfrom the drone control device 110.

The cameras 128 may be triggered by several different types oftechniques. For instance, a Passive Infra Red (PIR) motion sensor may bebuilt into the cameras 128 and used to trigger the cameras 128 tocapture one or more images when motion is detected. The cameras 128 alsomay include a microwave motion sensor built into the camera and used totrigger the cameras 128 to capture one or more images when motion isdetected. The cameras 128 may have a “normally open” or “normallyclosed” digital input that can trigger capture of one or more imageswhen external sensors (e.g., the sensors 122, PIR, door/window, etc.)detect motion or other events. In some implementations, the cameras 128receives a command to capture an image when external devices detectmotion or another potential alarm event. The cameras 128 may receive thecommand from the controller 112 or directly from one of the sensors 122.

In some examples, the cameras 128 trigger integrated or externalilluminators (e.g., Infra Red, Z-wave controlled “white” lights, etc.)to improve image quality when the scene is dark. An integrated orseparate light sensor may be used to determine if illumination isdesired and may result in increased image quality.

The cameras 128 may be programmed with any combination of time/dayschedules, system “arming state”, or other variables to determinewhether images should be captured or not when triggers occur. Thecameras 128 may enter a low-power mode when not capturing images. Inthis case, the cameras 128 may wake periodically to check for inboundmessages from the controller 112. The cameras 128 may be powered byinternal, replaceable batteries if located remotely from the monitoringcontrol unit 110. The cameras 128 may employ a small solar cell torecharge the battery when light is available. Alternatively, the cameras128 may be powered by the power supply of the controller 112 if thecameras 128 are co-located with the controller 112.

In some implementations, the cameras 128 communicate directly with themonitoring application server 160 over the Internet. In theseimplementations, image data captured by the cameras 128 does not passthrough the drone control device 110 and the cameras 128 receivescommands related to operation from the monitoring application server160.

The auxiliary drone device 130 may be an unmanned device that is capableof movement that are subordinate to the drone control device 110. Forexample, the auxiliary drone device 130 may be other drone devices thatlack the operational capabilities of the drone control device 110 to beused as a replacement for a control unit of a monitoring system. Theauxiliary drone devices 130 may be capable of moving throughout alocation based on automated control technology and/or user input controlprovided by either the user or by the drone control device 110. In suchan example, the auxiliary drone device 130 may be able to fly, roll,walk, or otherwise move about a location. The auxiliary drone device 130may include helicopter type devices (e.g., quad copters), rollinghelicopter type devices (e.g., roller copter devices that can fly andalso roll along the grounds, walls, or ceiling), land vehicle typedevices (e.g., automated cars that drive around a property), and planetype devices (e.g., unmanned aircraft). In some instances, the auxiliarydrone device 130 may be a drone device that is intended for otherpurposes and merely associated with the system 100 for use inappropriate circumstances. For instance, a security drone may beassociated with the system 100 as the auxiliary drone device 130 and maybe controlled to take action responsive to monitoring system events bythe drone control device 110. The auxiliary drone devices 130 may alsoinclude associated wireless or wired chargers that are similar to thecharger 116 described above.

The one or more user devices 140, 150 may be electronic devicesassociated with a property owner or an occupant that exchange networkcommunications over the network 105. For example, the one or more userdevices 140, 150 may be smartphones, tablets, personal computers (PCs),network-enabled media players, home entertainment systems, cloud storagedevices, and other types of network devices. The one or more userdevices 140, 150 may access a service made available by the monitoringapplication server 160 on the network 105, such as a mobile application.The data generated by the one or more user devices 140, 150 may includeover the network 105, which may be monitored by the drone control device110.

The one or more user devices 140, 150 are devices that host and displayuser interfaces. For instance, the user devices 140, 150 may be mobiledevices that host one or more native applications (e.g., the nativesurveillance applications 142 and 152). The user devices 140, 150 may acellular phone or a non-cellular locally networked device with adisplay. The user devices 140, 150 may also include one or more of acell phone, a smart phone, a tablet computing device, a laptop computingdevice, a desktop computing device, a personal digital assistant(“PDA”), a network-enabled wearable device, an electronic personalassistant device, or any other portable device configured to communicateover a network and display information. For example, implementations mayalso include electronic organizers, mobile devices, multimedia devices,or other portable music players, other communication devices, andhandheld or portable electronic devices for gaming, communications,and/or data organization. The user device 140 may perform functionsunrelated to the monitoring system, such as placing personal telephonecalls, playing music, playing video, displaying pictures, browsing theInternet, maintaining an electronic calendar, etc.

The user device 140 includes a native surveillance application 142. Thenative surveillance application 142 refers to a software/firmwareprogram running on the corresponding mobile device that enables the userinterface and features described throughout. The user device 140 mayload or install the native surveillance application 142 based on datareceived over a network or data received from local media. The nativesurveillance application 142 may run on any suitable mobile or desktopoperating system. The native surveillance application 142 enables theuser device 140 to receive and process image and sensor data from themonitoring system.

The user device 150 may be a general-purpose computer (e.g., a desktoppersonal computer, a workstation, or a laptop computer) that isconfigured to communicate with the monitoring application server 160and/or the drone control device 110 over the network 105. The userdevice 150 may be configured to display a surveillance monitoring userinterface that is generated by the user device 150 (e.g., through thenative surveillance application 152) or generated by the monitoringapplication server 160 (e.g., through a webpage). For example, the userdevice 150 may be configured to display a user interface (e.g., a webpage) provided by the monitoring application server 160 that enables auser to perceive images captured by the cameras 128 and/or reportsrelated to the monitoring system. Although FIG. 1 illustrates two userdevices for brevity, actual implementations may include more (and,perhaps, many more) or fewer user devices.

In some implementations, the one or more user devices 140, 150communicate with and receive monitoring system data from the dronecontrol device 110 using the communication link 138. For instance, theone or more user devices 140, 150 may communicate with the drone controldevice 110 using various local wireless protocols such as wifi,Bluetooth, zwave, zigbee, HomePlug (ethernet over powerline), or wiredprotocols such as Ethernet and USB, to connect the one or more userdevices 140, 150 to local security and automation equipment. The one ormore user devices 140, 150 may connect locally to the monitoring systemand its sensors and other devices. The local connection may improve thespeed of status and control communications because communicating throughthe network 105 with a remote server (e.g., the monitoring applicationserver 160) may be significantly slower.

Although the one or more user devices 140, 150 are shown ascommunicating with the drone control device 110, the one or more userdevices 140, 150 may communicate directly with the sensors and otherdevices controlled by the drone control device 110. In someimplementations, the one or more user devices 140, 150 replace the dronecontrol device 110 and perform the functions of the drone control device110 for local monitoring and long range/offsite communication.

In other implementations, the one or more user devices 140, 150 receivemonitoring system data captured by the drone control device 110 throughthe network 105. The one or more user devices 140, 150 may receive thedata from the drone control device 110 through the network 105 or themonitoring application server 160 may relay data received from the dronecontrol device 110 to the one or more user devices 140, 150 through thenetwork 105. In this regard, the monitoring application server 160 mayfacilitate communication between the one or more user devices 140, 150and the monitoring system.

In some implementations, the one or more user devices 140, 150 may beconfigured to switch between the one or more user devices 140, 150communicating with the drone control device 110 directly (e.g., throughlink 138) or through the monitoring application server 160 (e.g.,through network 105) based on a location of the one or more user devices140, 150. For instance, when the one or more user devices 140, 150 arelocated close to the drone control device 110 and in range tocommunicate directly with the drone control device 110, the one or moreuser devices 140, 150 use direct communication. When the one or moreuser devices 140, 150 are located far from the drone control device 110and not in range to communicate directly with the drone control device110, the one or more user devices 140, 150 communicate through themonitoring application server 160.

Although the one or more user devices 140, 150 are shown as beingconnected to the network 105, in some implementations, the one or moreuser devices 140, 150 are not connected to the network 105. In theseimplementations, the one or more user devices 140, 150 communicatedirectly with one or more of the monitoring system components and nonetwork (e.g., Internet) connection or reliance on remote servers isneeded.

In some implementations, the one or more user devices 140, 150 are usedin conjunction with only local sensors and/or local devices in a house.In these implementations, the system 100 only includes the one or moreuser devices 140, 150, the sensors 122, the HVAC components 124, theappliances 126, the cameras 128, and the drone control device 110. Theone or more user devices 140, 150 receive data directly from the sensors122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances 126, the cameras 128, andthe drone control device 110, and send data directly to these devices.The one or more user devices 140, 150 provide the appropriateinterfaces/processing to provide visual surveillance and reporting.

The monitoring application server 160 is an electronic device configuredto provide monitoring services by exchanging electronic communicationswith the drone control device 110, the one or more user devices 140,150, and the application server 160 over the network 105. For example,the monitoring application server 160 may be configured to monitorevents (e.g., alarm events) generated by the drone control device 110.In this example, the monitoring application server 160 may exchangeelectronic communications with the network module 114 included in thedrone control device 110 to receive information regarding events (e.g.,alarm events) detected by the drone control device 110. The monitoringapplication server 160 also may receive information regarding events(e.g., alarm events) from the one or more user devices 140, 150.

In some examples, the monitoring application server 160 may route alarmdata received from the network module 114 or the one or more userdevices 140, 150 to the application server 160. For example, themonitoring application server 160 may transmit the alarm data to theapplication server 160 over the network 105.

The monitoring application server 160 may store sensor and image datareceived from the monitoring system and perform analysis of sensor andimage data received from the monitoring system. Based on the analysis,the monitoring application server 160 may communicate with and controlaspects of the drone control device 110 or the one or more user devices140, 150.

In some implementations, the system 100 intelligently leverages thedrone control device 110 to aid in security monitoring, propertyautomation, and property management. For example, the drone controldevice 110 may aid in investigating alarm events detected at theproperty by the drone control device 110. In this example, the dronecontrol device 110 may detect an alarm event (e.g., a fire alarm, anentry into the property when the system is armed “Stay,” etc.) and,based on the detected alarm event, control the drone control device 110to attempt to identify persons in the property at the time of the alarmevent. In some instances, the drone control device 110 may directlyinvestigate persons in the property at the time of the alarm event.

Alternatively or additionally, the drone control device 110 may send acontrol command to each of the auxiliary drone devices 130 that causesthe devices to perform a coordinated and automated search for persons inthe property. Based on the control command received, each of theauxiliary drone devices 130 begins navigating the property and capturesimages of the property while navigating. Each of the auxiliary dronedevices 130 may then execute a predefined navigation pattern within theproperty. In other instances, the drone control device 110 may execute acoordinated scan of certain regions of the property, and then exchangelocation information for the regions of the property that have alreadybeen inspected by the drone control device 110 so that the auxiliarydrone devices 130 may navigate to areas that have not been explored byother drone devices.

In some examples, the drone control device 110 may analyze the imagescaptured during the scan of the property for the presence of persons inthe captured images. For instance, the drone control device 110 may useimage processing techniques in an attempt to identify shapes in thecaptured images that resemble a human body. The drone control device 110also may analyze the images for moving objects (or use other techniquesto identify moving objects) and target imaging on capture of movingobjects. Based on detection of a human or a moving object, the dronecontrol device 110 may lock onto the human or moving object and followthe human or moving object throughout the property. In this regard, thedrone control device 110 may follow the human or moving objectthroughout the property and capture images of the movement.

In some implementations, the image analysis operations may additionallyor alternatively performed by one or more of the auxiliary drone devices130. For instance, once one of the auxiliary drone devices 130 locksonto a human or moving object, this device may coordinate with the otherauxiliary drone devices 130 to ensure that multiple devices do not lockonto the same human or moving object.

The drone control device 110 may control the coordination of theauxiliary drone devices 130, or the drone auxiliary devices 130 may beautonomously controlled by one or more of the auxiliary drone devices130. The coordination may involve sharing the location of the human ormoving object and/or attributes of the human or moving object beingimaged. Based on the shared location and attributes, the drone controldevice 110 may determine whether multiple auxiliary drone devices 130have locked onto the same object and take action accordingly. If thedrone control device 110 determines that the auxiliary drone devices 130have not locked onto the same object, the appropriate one of theauxiliary drone devices 130 continues to lock onto the object while theother drone devices scan other areas of the property for other objects.If the drone control device 110 determine that the auxiliary dronedevices 130 have locked onto the same object, the drone control device110 may negotiate to determine which of the auxiliary drone devices 130will continue to lock onto the object while the other drone devices stoplocking onto the object and scan other areas of the property for otherobjects. The negotiation may select the drone device that continuestracking the object based on one or more factors including the timing ofwhen the devices locked onto the object (e.g., which device locked ontothe object first), the positioning of the devices relative to the object(e.g., which is best positioned to image the object), the amount ofbattery power remaining (e.g., the device with the most battery powerremaining), or any other factor that indicates the device most suited totrack the object. To the extent the device tracking an object becomesless suitable for tracking the object (e.g., the battery power isrunning low), the drone control device 110 may coordinate to hand offtracking of the object to another one of the auxiliary drone devices130.

In some examples, the drone control device 110 may perform imagerecognition processing on the one or more images in an attempt to detectwhether any identified humans are legitimate users of the property orintruders. In these examples, the drone control device 110 may haveaccess to images of legitimate users of the property and may compareimages being captured to the accessed images of legitimate users. Basedon the comparison, the drone control device 110 use facial recognitiontechniques to determine whether the imaged user matches a legitimateuser of the property or an intruder. The drone control device 110 thenuses the determination of whether the imaged user matches a legitimateuser of the property or an intruder to control further trackingoperation.

For example, based on a determination that the imaged user is anintruder, the drone control device 110 may continue tracking theintruder and capture images that sufficiently identify the intruder. Inthis example, the drone control device 110 may attempt to capturebiometric data from the intruder, such as voiceprint data, fingerprintdata, and/or biological samples with DNA of the intruder. In addition,the drone control device 110 may take action to thwart the purpose ofthe intruder. For example, the drone control device 110 may fly inrandom patterns around the intruder, may play loud sounds near theintruder, may shine lights near the intruder, may output identifyinginformation collected about the intruder (e.g., male, around six feettall and one hundred eighty pounds), may enable a central stationoperator or first responder to talk to the intruder through a two-wayvoice communication session established through the drone control device110 and the drone device, and may take other actions directed todisrupting the intruder.

Alternatively, based on a determination that the imaged user is alegitimate user, the drone control device 110 may discontinue trackingthe legitimate user and scan for intruders. The drone control device 110also may report the location of the legitimate user. The drone controldevice 110 further may continue tracking the legitimate user and attemptto provide assistance to the user. For instance, if the alarm is a firealarm event, the drone control device 110 may stay near the legitimateuser, continuously or periodically update the location of the legitimateuser to assist another user or first responder in helping the legitimateuser, provide audible reminders of what types of actions should be takenin a fire, enable a central station operator or first responder to talkto the legitimate user through a two-way voice communication sessionestablished through the drone control device 110 and the drone device,and may take other actions directed to assisting the legitimate user.

In some implementations, the auxiliary drone devices 130 may be assignedto different areas of the property where the devices can move in anunobstructed manner. In these examples, the auxiliary drone devices 130may be assigned to different levels in a property (e.g., an upstairsdrone device and a downstairs drone device) and even different rooms orsections that are potentially blocked by doors. The drone control device110 coordinates tracking movement based on the assigned areas. Forinstance, the drone control device 110 determines areas in a propertywhere an event has been detected (e.g., where motion is sensed, where adoor or window is opened, etc.) and only controls the drone devicesassigned to the determined areas to operate. In this regard, the dronecontrol device 110 may use locations of users determined using sensorsto control operation of the auxiliary drone devices 130.

In addition, the auxiliary drone devices 130 may be assigned as interiorand exterior devices. The interior devices may navigate throughout aninterior of the property. The exterior devices may navigate about anexterior periphery of the property. The exterior devices may be weatherconditioned to remain outdoors (e.g., in an outdoor enclosure) at alltimes such that the exterior devices can explore an exterior of theproperty at any suitable time. In addition, the exterior devices mayremain inside the property and the drone control device 110 may open adoor to enable an exterior drone device to leave and return to theproperty. For instance, an exterior device may have a base or referencelocation in a garage of the property and the drone control device 110may automatically open a garage door to allow the exterior device toleave the garage and explore the exterior of the property.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may monitoroperational status of the auxiliary drone devices 130 and coordinatefurther operation based on the operational status. In theseimplementations, the drone control device 110 may detect that aparticular drone device is no longer operational and control one or moreother drone devices to perform operations originally assigned to thenon-operational drone device. In addition, the drone control device 110may determine that the non-operational drone device was navigating closeto an intruder and received an impact based on accelerometer data priorto becoming non-operational. In this case, the drone control device 110may infer that the drone device was smashed by the intruder and controlother drone devices based on the inference. For instance, afterinferring a smash event, the drone control device 110 may controloperation of other drone devices to maintain distance from the intruderby only flying high overhead.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may determinebattery power available for each of the auxiliary drone devices 130 andcoordinate operation of the auxiliary drone devices 130 based onavailable battery power. In these implementations, the auxiliary dronedevices 130 may report battery power remaining to the drone controldevice 110 and the drone control device 110 may determine a subset ofthe auxiliary drone devices 130 to deploy based on the battery powerinformation. For instance, the drone control device 110 may select toinitially deploy the drone device with the most available battery powerto allow the other drone devices to charge while the selected deviceassists with monitoring. Once the battery power for the selected devicefalls below a threshold, the drone control device 110 may return theselected device to a charging station and select the drone device withthe presently highest available battery power to resume the monitoringoptions being performed. The drone control device 110 may cycle throughall of the auxiliary drone devices 130 in an intelligent manner thatbest leverages the battery power available. If the battery power of adevice becomes too low to effectively operate as a navigating device,the drone control device 110 may control the drone device to remainstationary and act as a stationary camera or other sensor to stillassist with monitoring, although the added benefit of navigation nolonger exists.

In addition to battery, the drone control device 110 may select thedrone device to deploy and what action to take based on the sensor thattriggered the event, a time of day, and a state of the system. Forinstance, if the drone control device 110 detects an unusual motionsensor event, the drone control device 110 may select the nearest dronedevice to navigate to an area of the property where motion was detectedand investigate. Alternatively, if the drone control device 110 detectsa critical alarm event (e.g., a security breach of a system armed stay,a fire alarm, a carbon monoxide alarm, etc.), the drone control device110 may deploy all auxiliary drone devices 130 at any time of the day.If the drone control device 110 detects an intrusion breach, the dronecontrol device 110 may assign some devices to “attack” the intruder bydisrupting the purpose of the intruder and collecting identifyinginformation for the intruder and assign some devices to search for otherusers in the property. The selected devices and actions taken may varybased on sensor data, time of day, and the state of the monitoringsystem.

In some implementations, the system 100 allows central stationoperators, first responders, and/or users of the property to interactwith and control the drone control device 110. In these implementations,a central station operator, first responder, or user of the property mayprovide input to control the drone control device 110 in a manner thatbest assists with monitoring and investigation of detected events. Forinstance, the central station operator, first responder, or user of theproperty may remotely control navigation of the drone control device110. The central station operator, first responder, or user of theproperty also may provide general commands related to actions the dronecontrol device 110 are designed to take. In response to these generalcommands, the drone control device 110 may automatically perform thedesired actions, such as following an instruction to explore theproperty or following an instruction to navigate to an upstairs bedroom.

In some examples, the drone control device 110 may periodically performtest sequences to ensure the drone control device 110 will operatecorrectly if needed. In these examples, the drone control device 110 mayperiodically navigate predefined navigation patterns used to investigatethe property and/or may navigate around the property in a scanningsequence. The drone control device 110 may determine whether the testsequences perform correctly or whether an error occurs that preventsfull investigation of the property. To the extent an error occurs, thedrone control device 110 reports the error and enable a user of theproperty or a technician to correct the error prior to a time when thedrone control device 110 would be needed for safety monitoring.

The drone control device 110 also may arrange the test sequences tooccur during periods of time that are convenient for users of theproperty. For example, the drone control device 110 may assess sensordata at the property and determine a time period in which the propertyis unoccupied and unlikely to be occupied until the test sequencescomplete. In this example, the drone control device 110 waits until thedetermined time period to initiate test sequences for one or more of thedrone control device 110.

In some examples, the drone control device 110 may be used to provide acritical alert to a user in the property or attempt to wake a sleepingperson as appropriate. In these examples, none of the users may beresponding to a critical alert and, in response, the drone controldevice 110 may control the drone control device 110 to search for aperson in the property and provide the critical alert very close to anidentified person in a manner that is highly likely to gain the person'sattention to the critical alert. In the event that the person appears tobe sleeping in the property, the drone control device 110 may attempt towake the person by providing loud output very near the person and/or bymaking contact with the person. In this regard, the drone control device110 may be useful in waking a sleeping person when a fire or carbonmonoxide alarm has been detected and the person needs to leave theproperty. The drone control device 110 also may determine when a personis nonresponsive (e.g., unconscious) and may be need of immediateassistance. Also, the drone control device 110 may serve as an alarmclock for critical meetings based on a person having trouble waking upusing traditional alarm clocks.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a property 210 thatincludes a drone control device 110. The components of the system 100 asdepicted in FIG. 1 may be used to perform operations near or within aproperty 210. For instance, the drone control device 110 may exchangeelectronic communications with the sensors 122, the HVAC components 124,the appliances 126, the cameras 128, the auxiliary drone devices 130,the one or more user devices 140, 150, and/or the application server160.

In general, as described with respect to FIG. 1, the drone controldevice 110 may exchange electronic communications with the devices ofthe system 100 to perform a variety of operations related to theproperty 210. For instance, the operations performed by the dronecontrol device 110 may include, without limitation, security andsurveillance operations to preemptively secure the premises of theproperty 210, arming and disarming a monitoring system (e.g., the system100) associated with the property 210, monitoring and controlling theactivities of connected devices (e.g., the appliances 126) near orwithin the property 210, and/or provide emergency response servicesduring a detected alarm event at the property 210. In this regard, thedrone control device 110 may be a fully autonomous component of thesystem 100 that periodically transmits information associated with theproperty 210 to a remote server (e.g., the application server 160). Thedescriptions below provide example implementations of the system 100where the drone control device 110 performs particular implementations.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 is capable ofperforming security and surveillance operations to preemptively securethe premises of the property 210. For instance, the drone control device110 may assign a set of finite security states to the property based oninformation collected near or within the property 210. The securitystates may indicate a level of risk of the property 210 based on theinformation collected (e.g., number of doors/windows open, occupantspresent within the property 210, time of day, etc.). The informationcollected near or within the property 210 may be received from devicesof the system 100 such as the sensors 122, the HVAC components 124, theappliances 126, the cameras 128, and/or the auxiliary drone device 130.For example, the drone control device 110 may receive occupancy datafrom the sensors 122 indicating when a property owner is presentlyoutside the property 210, increasing the susceptibility to a securitybreach within the property. In other examples, the drone control device110 may receive security footage of the exterior of the property 210from the cameras 128 indicating certain exterior conditions such as theweather conditions that make the property 210 susceptible toenvironmental damage, or identifying individuals that are entering orexiting the property and whether they are authorized to enter theproperty (e.g., occupants, visitors, and/or potential trespassers). Inother examples, the drone control device 110 survey the radiofrequencyenvironment near or within the property 210 to detect the presence ofunauthorized devices accessing information and/or performingsurveillance of the property.

The security and surveillance operations performed by the drone controldevice 110 may be remotely accessible. For instance, the data collectedby the drone control device 110 during security and surveillanceoperations (e.g., security footage from the cameras 128) may beaccessible by a property owner using a remote user interface displayedon the one of the user devices 140, 150. In such instances, the dronecontrol device 110 may be accessible using a user credential (e.g., ausername and password) in order to authenticate the identity of theproperty owner remotely accessing data collected by the drone controldevice 110. In some examples, the drone control device 110 may be usedto remotely control one or more of the devices of the system 100. Forinstance, the property owner may remotely access the security footagereceived by the drone control device 110 from the cameras 128 and adjustthe video collection settings (e.g., adjusting video analytics, field ofview, etc.).

The drone control device 110 may additionally be used to monitoractivities related to a security system within the property 210. Forinstance, the drone control device 110 may monitor a setup orinstallation of a system or components, a maintenance operation, orother types of activities that require service personnel to enter theproperty 210. In such instances, the drone control device 110 may beconfigured to exchange electronic communications with the sensors 122throughout the property 210 to track the progress of activities,determine if any issues arise, and transmit the collected information toeither the property owner or the application server 160. For example,the drone control device 110 may periodically navigate through theproperty to where a scheduled operation is supposed to take place andcapture video footage of the operation. In other examples, the dronecontrol device 110 may use a personnel verification technique todetermine if the identity of the service personnel matches informationreceived from a service provider prior to providing access to theproperty 210 for the operation to be performed in the property 210.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 is capable ofenabling the arming and disarming of a monitoring system associated withthe property 210. For instance, the drone control device 110 may usetechniques verify the identity of an individual entering the property210 and disarm the security system in response to determining that theidentity of the individual entering the property 210 is valid. In someexamples, the drone control device 110 may be capable of verifying theidentity of an individual within different locations of the property.For instance, the drone control device 110 may initially detect thepresence of an individual near a boundary of the property 210, and thennavigate to the location where the presence is detected and use thetechniques described to verify the identity of the individual enteringthe property 210. For example, the drone control device 110 may becapable of verifying the identity of an individual at the back entranceof the property 210 if the individual enters through the back entranceand similarly capable of verifying the identity of an individual at thefront entrance of the property if the individual enters through thefront entrance.

The drone control device 110 may use a variety of techniques to verifythe identity of an individual entering the property 210. In someinstances, the drone control device 110 may include a keypad that allowsthe individual to enter a designated security code to verify theidentity of the individual. Alternatively, in other instances, the dronecontrol device 110 may be capable of using more sophisticated userauthentication techniques such as biometric authentication ortime-dependable token authentication to verify the identity of theindividual. For example, the drone control device 110 may use facialrecognition to match the face of an individual to a list of authorizedusers that have been designated by the property owner to provide accessto the property 210. In another example, the drone control device 110may include a fingerprint sensor or a retinal scanner to acceptbiometric inputs from the individual and compare the biometric inputs toones of authorized users.

The drone control device 110 may be capable of performing periodicverifications related to arming and disarming the security system of theproperty 210. For instance, in addition to providing an initialverification to arm and disarm the security system, the drone controldevice 110 may be configured to perform secondary verifications once anindividual is already inside the property 210. For example, if anintruder initially uses false credentials to disarm the security system,the drone control device 110 may receive a subsequent signal indicatingthat the intruder falsely disarmed the system and in response, enablethe security system and/or navigate to the location of the intruder toperform a subsequent verification using a more sophisticatedverification technique. In this example, the drone control device 110may be used to minimize security breaches resulting from fraudulententrances within the property 210.

The drone control device 110 may use a variety of user interactiontechniques while arming and disarming the security system of theproperty 210. For instance, the drone control device 110 may initiallydetect the location of a property owner and automatically move towardsthe property owner to initiate the arming or disarming process. Thedrone control device 110 may use different movement techniques toapproach another user based on the location within the property 210. Forexample, the drone control device 110 may travel on the ground whennavigating inside the property 210 and aerial transport when navigatingoutside the property 210. The drone control device 110 may also usespatial information associated with the property 210 (e.g., a floorplan, size of interior rooms, etc.) to determine the appropriatenavigation technique to use. In addition, after navigating to thelocation of the property owner, the drone control device 110 mayestablish a set of contact standards to prevent injury and/orintimidation. For example, the drone control device 110 may maintain aspecified distance from the property owner, approach users differentlybased on present circumstances and/or the type of user being approached.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 is capable ofmonitoring and/or controlling the activities of the connected devicesnear or within the property 210. For instance, the drone control device110 may periodically receive information from the devices of the system100 such as the sensors 122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances126, the cameras 128, and the auxiliary drone device 130. In response toreceiving such information, the drone control device 110 maycontinuously monitor and adjust the activities of the devices of thesystem 100. In some instances, the drone control device 110 may use thereceived information to detect changes in the environment near or withinthe property 210. For example, the drone control device 110 maydetermine time points when occupants enter or exit the property 210,identify reoccurring activity patterns, and/or transmit activity reportsto the application server 160. In another example, the drone controldevice 110 may determine whether present conditions are satisfied toinitiate or terminate particular actions. For instance, the dronecontrol device 110 may determine if one or more devices of the system100 are presently malfunctioning, and in response, transmit anotification to either the user device 140 or the application server 160to replace the device or schedule a maintenance appointment.

The drone control device 110 may use sensor data from the sensors 122 tocontrol activities related to the property 210. In some instances, thedrone control device 110 may receive sensor data that represents useractivity from the sensors 122, and determine an optimized activitypattern based on the user activity data, and transmit instructions tooperate the HVAC components 124 and the appliances 126 according to theoptimized activity pattern. For example, the drone control device 110may automate the operation of the HVAC components 124 and the appliances126 to minimize energy consumption, or match with user-specifiedpreferences (e.g., temperature light control). In other instances, thedrone control device 110 may use sensor data from the sensors 122 todetermine present conditions associated with the property 210. Forexample, the drone control device 110 may generate an infrared mappingof the property 210 that indicates locations of heat sources and theamount of heat generated. In response, the drone control device 110 maydetermine an average ambient temperature within the property 210.

The drone control device 110 may transmit information related tomonitoring operations to the one or more users within the property(e.g., property owners). In some examples, the drone control device 110may passively transmit periodic activity reports that includeinformation over a particular period of time (e.g., daily, weekly,monthly, etc.). Alternatively, in other examples, the drone controldevice 110 may actively interact with the one or more users to directlycommunicate information related to the monitoring operations. Forinstance, the drone control device 110 may automatically navigatethrough the property 210 to locations of the users and displayinformation on a user interface. In these examples, the drone controldevice 110 may either interact with the one or more users periodicallyduring specified time periods, or based on the satisfaction of one ormore conditions for providing information to the user (e.g., schedulinga maintenance appointment).

In some instances, the monitoring operations performed by the dronecontrol device 110 may be coordinated by additional devices. Forexample, the drone control device 110 may coordinate monitoringoperations with a physical security panel that additionally receivesinformation from devices of the system 100. In such an example, thedrone control device 110 may delegate a set of monitoring operations tothe security panel to efficiently conserve computational resources ofthe drone control device 110. In another example, the drone controldevice 110 may coordinate monitoring operations with one or moresubordinate helper drone devices (e.g., the auxiliary drone device 130),which perform a set of delegated monitoring operations in a coordinatedmanner. For instance, each of the one or more subordinate helper dronedevices may be assigned to specific regions of the property 210 andrelay information to the drone control device 110.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 is capable ofproviding emergency response services during a detected alarm event atthe property 210. For instance, the drone control device 110 mayinitially monitor data collected from devices of the system 100 anddetermine the presence of an alarm condition within the property 210.The alarm conditions may include fire or smoke within the property 210,a security breach within the property 210, or personal injuriesrequiring emergency medical services.

During an alarm event, the drone control device 110 may identify thelocations of occupants within the property 210, determine the nearestemergency exits and take appropriate actions based on determining thepresent condition of the property 210. In some instances, the dronecontrol device 110 may transmit a distress signal to remote devices(e.g., the user devices 140, 150, the applications server 160, etc.) tonotify the appropriate individuals of the alarm event. For example, thedistress signal may include an emergency category associated with thealarm event, spatial information related to the property 210, or othertypes of pertinent detected data from the devices of the system 100(e.g., detected health and welfare information of occupants, sensorinformation, video footage during the alarm event, etc.).

The drone control device 110 may include various features to improve thetransmission of life-critical data during an alarm event within theproperty 210. For example, in some instances, the drone control device110 may be capable of backing up data received from the devices of thesystem 100 such that the application server 160 may access the backupdata in the event that the drone control device 110 is damaged ordestroyed during the alarm event. In another example, the drone controldevice 110 may include different software configurations to maximize theprobability of data transmission to the application server 160 during analarm event (e.g., increasing bandwidth for life-critical datatransmissions while reducing resources for non-essential functions).

In addition, the drone control device 110 may be capable of usingdifferent network protocols to exchange electronic communications withthe application server 160 during an alarm event. For example, afterinitially detecting an alarm event, the drone control device 110 mayautomatically enable video capture, navigate to the location of thealarm event and initiate a video conference with the application server160 while navigating to the location of the alarm event. In anotherexample, the drone control device 110 may include a control mechanismthat enables the application server 160 to override controls of thedrone control device 110 after detecting the presence of an alarm event.In another example, the drone control device 110 may be capable of usinga backup network with the application server 160 (e.g., over a cellularnetwork) in the event that the network 105 becomes inoperable due todamage to the property 210. In this example, the drone control device110 may automatically adjust outgoing data transmissions to theapplication server 160 using the backup network based on determiningthat the network 105 may be inoperable.

The drone control device 110 may additionally be capable of performing aset of responsive actions to intelligently minimize the damage to thedrone control device 110 during an alarm event. For instance, afterdetecting the presence of an alarm event, the drone control device 110may identify, based on receiving detected data from the sensors 120,particular locations within the property 210 that are not susceptible todangerous conditions, and then navigate to the particular locations. Forexample, if there is a fire on the second floor of the property 210, thedrone control device 110 may navigate to an insulated region that isless likely to be burnt by the fire. In another example, the dronecontrol device 110 may initially navigate to a safe region to transmitan alert indicating the alarm event to the application server 160, andthen aggressively enter affected regions to search for occupants thatmay be in danger. In each of these examples, the drone control device110 may utilize information gathered from the devices of the system 100(e.g., spatial information related to the property 210, sensorinformation indicating present conditions, occupancy data indicatinglast-known locations of occupants, etc.) to make intelligent decisionson how to best take a set of actions to minimize injury of theoccupants, increase the probability of transmitting an alert to theapplication server 160, and/or ensuring that the first responders haveenough information to adequately address the alarm event within theproperty 210.

In some instances, where the detected alarm event is a security breachindicating that an intruder may have entered the property 210, the dronedetector device 110 may include one or more security features to ensurethe safety of occupants within the property 210. In some examples, thedrone detector device 110 may be capable of performing offensiveimmobilization techniques (e.g., using a light flash to induce temporaryblindness, releasing a noxious gas to induce unconsciousness, etc.). Inother examples, the drone detector device 110 may be capable ofperforming defensive techniques to improve the likelihood totransmitting an alert indicating the security breach to the applicationserver 160 (e.g., superficially appearing inoperable to prevent anintruder from damaging the device, retreating to a region inaccessibleto the intruder, etc.).

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may be capable ofmonitoring neighboring properties of the property 210 using similartechniques described above to monitor the property 210. For example, thedrone control device 110 may monitor traffic inbound and outboundtraffic patterns for a certain region surrounding the property 210(e.g., a street, a community of properties, etc.), and identifyanomalies based on routine activity patterns. In such examples, if thedrone control device 110 detects a potential security breach in aneighboring property, the drone control device 110 may automaticallytransmit an alert notification to a local law enforcement agency and/orsecure the property 210 from a similar security breach.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a process 300 for performing operationsusing a drone control device, for example, drone control device 110 ofFIGS. 1 and 2. Briefly, the process 300 may include monitoring datagenerated by one or more devices within a property (310), determining analarm status associated with the property based on monitoring the data(320), determining a location associated with a user based on monitoringthe data (330), performing a particular operation at the locationassociated with the user (340), and transmitting a signal indicating thealarm status and the particular operation performed (350).

In more detail, the process 300 may include monitoring data generated byone or more devices within a property (310). For instance, the dronecontrol device 110 may receive data generated by devices of the system100. The generated data may include sensor data collected by the sensors122, activity data associated with a HVAC system within the property210, user activity data indicating when the occupant operates one ormore of the appliances 126, video footage of the property 210 capturedby the cameras 128, and/or the drone activity data associated with theauxiliary drone device 130 near the exterior of the property 210.

The process 300 may include determining an alarm status associated withthe property based on monitoring the data (320). For instance, the dronecontrol device 110 may determine the presence of an alarm eventassociated with the property 210 based on monitoring the data generatedby the devices of the system 100. In some examples, the alarm event maybe a security breach near the exterior of the property 210 indicatingthat an intruder may have trespassed, a health-related emergencyindicating that an occupant inside the property 210 may require medicalassistance, or a life-critical hazardous event near or within theproperty 210 indicating a fire or other types of the life-threateningaccidents. In these examples, the drone control device 110 may passivelydetermine the presence of the alarm event based on using patterndetection techniques to identify an anomaly within the property 210, oractively determine the presence of the alarm event based on periodicallynavigating regions of the property 210 and identifying an anomaly withinthe property 210.

The process 300 may include determining a location associated with auser based on monitoring the data (330). For instance, the drone controldevice 110 may determine the locations of occupants within the property210 based on data generated by the devices of the system 100. Forexample, the drone control device 110 may determine the locations of theoccupants based on occupancy data within specified regions of theproperty 210, data indicating when one or more appliances 126 was lastused by an occupant, and/or video footage depicting occupants within thefield of views of the cameras 128. In other examples, in response todetecting the presence of an alarm event, the drone control device 110may survey the different regions of the property 210 to determine thelocations of the occupants.

The process 300 may include performing a particular operation at thelocation associated with the user (340). For instance, as described withrespect to FIG. 2, the drone control device 110 may perform security andsurveillance operations to preemptively secure the premises of theproperty 210, arming and disarming a monitoring system associated withthe property 210, monitoring and controlling the activities of connecteddevices near or within the property 210, and/or provide emergencyresponse services during a detected alarm event at the property 210. Theparticular operation performed by the drone control device 110 may bebased on particular indicators within the data generated by the devicesof the system 100, the particular category of alarm event identified bythe drone control device 110, and/or the number of occupants presentwithin the property 210.

The process 300 may include transmitting a signal indicating the alarmstatus and the particular operation performed (350). For instance, thedrone control device 110 may transmit a signal to the application server160 that includes information related to the alarm event, the particularoperation performed by the drone control device 110, and/or anylife-critical information associated with the occupants within theproperty 210. In other instances, the drone control device 110 maytransmit the signal to the one or more user devices 140, 150 and/orother devices associated with emergency responders.

FIG. 4A illustrates an example of a process 400A for automaticallyproviding an interface for output by a drone control device to aspecified user location. Briefly, the process 400A may include receivinga request from a user (410A), determining a location associated with theuser (420A), automatically navigating to the location associated withthe user (430A), and providing an interface for output to the user atthe location (440A).

In more detail, the process 400A may include receiving a request from auser (410A). For instance, the drone control device 110 may receive arequest from a device associated with a user (e.g., the user devices140, 150) to perform a specified operation. For example, as illustratedin FIG. 4B, the user may use an application that runs on the user deviceto remotely summon the drone control device 110 to a specified locationof the property. In other examples, the user may summon the drone usingother techniques such as providing a specified voice query, performing aparticular gesture if the user is within the line of sight of the dronecontrol device 110, or performing a designated action on one or moredevices that exchange communications with the drone control device 110.

The process 400A may include determining a location associated with theuser (420A). For instance, the drone control device 110 may determine alocation associated with the user based on receiving the request fromthe user. As described above, the drone control device 110 may usevarious techniques to determine the location of the user. For instance,if the received request is transmitted from a user device, the dronecontrol device 110 may obtain location data collected by the user deviceto determine its location, which is presumed to be associated with theuser. In other examples, the drone control device 110 may initiatewirelessly ping with the user device to identify the location of thewireless device. In other instances, where the user transmits therequest by providing a voice query, the drone control device 110 maydetermine the user's location based on identifying a direction ofaudible sound produced in relation to the present location of the dronecontrol device 110. For example, the drone control device 110 may usedata collected by its on-board sensors (e.g., sound detectors, videocamera, infrared sensors, etc.) in order to identify the locationassociated with the user.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may additionallyor alternatively exchange communications with one or more deviceslocated within the property in determining the location of the user. Forinstance, in response to receiving the user's request, the drone controldevice 110 may obtain data recently collected by the sensors 122, theappliances 126, and/or the cameras 128 in order to predict a location ofthe user. For example, video footage collected from the cameras 128 indifferent regions of the property can be used to identify a location ofthe user. In other examples, presence and/or motion detection datacollected by the sensors 122 can be used to determine movement patternsof the user through different regions of the property. In yet anotherexample, the drone control device 110 may obtain activity data from theappliances 126 to identify locations of appliances that were recentlyused by the user.

The process 400A may include automatically navigating to the locationassociated with the user (430A). For instance, after determining thelocation associated with the user, the drone control device 110 mayautomatically navigate to the determined location. As described above,the drone control device 110 may use various techniques to move aboutthe property. For example, the drone control device 110 may fly, roll,walk, or hover from its current location within the property to thedetermined location associated with the user.

The process 400A may include providing an interface for output to theuser at the location (440A). For instance, after the drone controldevice 110 has automatically navigated to the location associated withthe user, the drone control device 110 may provide a user interface thatdisplays information related to operations related to the system 100.The user interface may either be displayed on a display of the dronecontrol device 110, or on the display on the user device 140. In someexamples, the user interface may present the user with options toperform common operations associated with the property such locking theexits of the property, alarming the security system of the property,adjusting the set point temperature of the HVAC system, among others. Inother examples, the user interface may provide information that isresponsive to a user's request for information related to the property(e.g., current set point temperature, energy consumption patterns, usersthat are detected to be occupying the property, etc.).

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may be capable ofinteracting with the user after navigating to the user's location. Thedrone control device 110 may be capable of using language processing andspeech recognition techniques to parse speech queries provided by theuser, and performing actions responsive to the speech queries. Forinstance, the user may provide commands for the drone control device 110to perform a specified action, and the in response, the drone controldevice 110 may be capable of translating the speech command into anexecutable command to perform the specified action. As an example, auser may transmit commands to perform routine actions related to theproperty such as confirming whether a particular individual is at homeor not, confirming the operational status of an appliance 126 within theproperty, or commands to initiate electronic communications with otherdevices located within the property such as turning lights on/off,arming or disarming a security system, or performing a networkconnectivity check for a local network within the property.

FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of a property 400B where the dronecontrol device 110 automatically provides an interface for output at aspecified user location. The illustrated example proceeds according to asequence of steps “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D” depicted in the figure. At step(A), a user initially provides a request to summon the drone controldevice 110 to his/her location. At step (B), in response to receivingthe user's request, the drone control device 110 determines a locationassociated with the user 102. At step (C), the drone control device 110then automatically navigates to the determined location for the user102. At step (D), once the drone control device 110 has reached theuser's location, the drone control device 110 provides a user interfacefor output to the user.

At step (A), a user 102 initially transmits a request to summon thedrone control device 110 to his/her location within the property. In theexample illustrated, the user 102 utilizes a drone control applicationthat runs on a user device 140 to transmit a summoning request. The userinput received on the drone control application is then transmitted tothe drone device 110 either through a local network such as the network105, or through communications with an associated server such as theapplication server 160.

In some implementations, the user 102 may use the drone controlapplication to remotely transmit other types of commands that do notnecessarily require the drone control device 110 to navigate to theuser's location. For example, the user 102 may use the drone controlapplication to transmit an instruction to control the operation of theappliances 126, obtain and provide sensor data collected by the sensors122, adjust heating/cooling operations of the HVAC components 124, orprovide activity reports related to the property 400B. In theseexamples, the drone control device 110 may perform the actions specifiedby user input on the application without actually navigating to theuser's location.

Although FIG. 4B illustrates the transmission of a user request using amobile application, in some implementations, the user 102 may summon thedrone control device 110 to his/her location using other techniques. Forinstance, the user 102 may transmit a voice command or instruction,that, when heard by the drone control device 110, causes the dronecontrol device 110 to automatically determine and navigate to the user'slocation. For example, the voice command may include specified terms,phrases, or utterance patterns that are recognizable by an automatedspeech recognition module of the drone control device 110. Additionally,if the user 102 is within the line of sight of the drone control device110 (e.g., in the same room), the user 102 may also provide specifiedgestures that are recognizable by the drone control device 110 in orderto summon the drone control device 110.

At step (B), the drone control device 110 receives and recognizes theuser's request and then determines a user's location within the property400B. In the example illustrated, the drone control device 110 obtainsan alert signal indicating that the user 102 has transmitted a requestthrough the drone control application, and in response, the dronecontrol device 110 identifies that the user 102 is presently located in“BEDROOM 1” of the property 400B. As described above, the drone controldevice 110 may determine the user's location using a variety oftechniques. In some instances, data collected by devices located withinthe property can be used to predict a present location of the user 102with the use of motion sensor data, presence and occupancy data, and/oruser activity data within the property 400B. In other instances, datacollected by on-board sensors of the drone control device 110 can alsobe used to determine a user's location. For example, the drone controldevice 110 may have sound sensors that are configured to identify adirection of a sound source corresponding to a user's voice command. Inanother example, the drone control device 110 may perform a surveyingoperation in different regions to property and identify a user'slocation when he/she is visually detected by on-board cameras of thedrone control device 110.

At step (C), the drone control device 110 automatically navigates to thedetermined location for the user 102 within the property 400B. Asdescribed above, the drone control device 110 may use various techniquesto move between a starting point and an ending point of the property400B.

At step (D), once the drone control device 110 navigates to the user'slocation within the property 400B, the drone control device 110 mayprovide a user interface that enables the user 102 to perform variousoperations of the system 100 described above in FIG. 1. The userinterface may either be presented on a display of the drone controldevice 110, or transmitted to the user device 140 for display throughthe control application. In the examples depicted, the interface allowsthe user 102 to check the energy usage by devices within the property400B. For instance, as described above in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dronecontrol device 110 may monitor the activity of devices of the system 100(e.g., the sensors 122, the HVAC components 124, the appliances 126, thecameras 128, etc.). The drone control device 110 may also aggregateactivity data over specified periods of time (e.g., hourly, daily,weekly, etc.) in order to identify activity patterns related to usage,energy consumption, among others. The interface illustrated in the FIG.4B therefore allows the user to check monitoring information related tothe system 100 without having to navigate to a fixed location within theproperty. In the other examples illustrated, the user 102 may use thedrone control device 110 to send an alarm signal to another user or to adesignated authorized entity, or secure the property 400B by adjustingthe security status or by locking all of the entrances/exits of theproperty 400B.

In some implementations, the user interface provided by the dronecontrol device 110 enables the user 102 to interact with the dronecontrol device 110 in addition to selecting commands to performoperations related to the system 100. The user interface may enable theuser 102 to use the drone control device 110 as a companion device torequest and view information related to the property 400B. For example,the user 102 may select a “security information” option on the dronecontrol application, and then view collected security footage and/or anydetect security intrusion events on the user interface of the dronecontrol device 110 once it has been summoned in response to the requesttransmitted through the drone control application. In this regard,because the drone control device 110 monitors and routes data associatedwith the system 100, the user interface presented on the drone controldevice 110 can be used to provide additional information that may not beavailable directly on the user device 140.

For example, this additional information can include detected useractivity patterns (e.g., set point temperature history for a connectedthermostat, operation of connected appliances within the property), orsupporting information associated with user activity (e.g., energyconsumption resulting from HVAC heating and cooling patterns related tothe set point temperature, monthly electricity or water consumption overa specified timer period). Other examples of additional information areillustrated in FIGS. 5B and 6B below. For example, additionalinformation may relate to a detected emergency condition at the property(e.g., toxic carbon monoxide levels, excessive temperature or smokelevels indicating a fire). In other examples, additional information mayinclude information related to a detected security breach (e.g.,location and time point of a detected intrusion, captured security videofootage of the intrusion).

In addition to providing additional information, the user interfaceprovided by the drone control device 110 (e.g., through a display of thedrone control device 110 or through the user device 140) enables theuser to transmit commands for the drone control device 110 to performspecified operations related to a security system of the property.Examples of such operations include adjusting an alarm status of thesecurity system (e.g., from “unarmed” to “armed” or “stay”),locking/unlocking electronic locks of entrances or exits of theproperty, transmitting emergency alert notifications to other users(e.g., emergency contacts, first responders, law enforcement agencies),or routine monitoring operations related to the security system (e.g.,verifying device status, optimizing device operations, or aggregating,presenting, or storing monitored device information).

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of a process 500A for automaticallyperforming an emergency action using a drone control device. Briefly,the process 500A may include obtaining data indicating a security breachat a property (510A), in response, determining a location of a userwithin the property (520A), automatically navigating to the locationassociated with the user (530A), and providing an interface forperforming an emergency action to the user at the location (540A).

In more detail, the process 500A may include obtaining data indicating asecurity breach at a property (510A). For instance, the drone controldevice 110 may obtain collected data from one or more of the sensors 122indicating a security breach at the property. Examples of sensor dataindicating a security breach can include irregular motion detected nearthe exterior of the property, data indicating a forced intrusion througha door or window, or a manual input from a user indicating an alarmcondition.

Additionally, or alternatively, data indicating a security breach can beobtained from on-board sensors of the drone control device 110. Forexample, a camera of a drone control device 110 may capture videofootage of an intruder entering the premises of a property whileperforming a designated surveillance operation of the property.

The process 500A may include determining a location of a user within theproperty (520A). The user may be some type of authorized user (e.g., aproperty owner, an occupant) that has permission and/or authorization tooccupy the property. The drone control device 110 may use similartechniques as those as described above in step 420A of FIG. 4A, thedrone control device 110 to determine a user's location within theproperty in response to detecting a security breach within the property.In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may use similartechniques to also identify the location of the security breach withinthe property.

In some implementations, after determining the location of the user thatpresently occupies the property and the location of the security breachwithin the property, the drone control device 110 may also determine ifthe detected security breach poses a potential danger to the user. Forexample, the drone control device 110 may evaluate the danger posedbased on a proximity between the user's location and the location of thesecurity breach and/or the severity of the security breach based on uponits location within the property. If the drone control device 110determines that there is significant danger posed by the security breach(e.g., high proximity between the user's location and the location ofthe security breach), the drone control device 110 may then performresponsive actions to reduce the danger posed. For example, the dronecontrol device 110 may attempt to divert an intruder away from theuser's location using an audible alarm signal.

The process 500A may include automatically navigating to the locationassociated with the user (530A). For instance, the drone control device110 may automatically navigate to the user's location using similartechniques as described above in step 430 of FIG. 4A. In someimplementations, the drone control device 110 may additionally, oralternatively, automatically navigate to the location of the securitybreach. For example, as described above, in some instances, the dronecontrol device 110 may preemptively navigate to the location of thesecurity breach to deter an intruder in order to reduce an amount ofrisk posed to a user that presently occupies the property. In anotherexample, if the user that presently occupies the property is sleepingand/or otherwise unaware of the detected security breach, the dronecontrol device 110 may automatically navigate to location of the user inorder to notify him/her of the detected security breach.

The process 500A may include providing an interface for performing anemergency action to the user at the location (540A). For instance, afterautomatically navigating to the location of the user, the drone controldevice 110 may generate a user interface that provides informationrelated to performing an emergency action. The user interface may bepresented on a display of the drone control device 110 or transmitted tothe user device 140 for display through an associated application and/orwebpage. In some examples, the user interface may provide the user withcollected sensor data associated with the detected security breach(e.g., location of a detected intrusion, captured video footage of aregion where the intrusion took place, etc.). In other examples, theuser interface may provide options for the user to seek emergencyassistance (e.g., sending an alert notification to an emergency contactand/or a law enforcement agency).

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may perform otheremergency actions in addition to, or as an alternative to, providing theuser interface for output to a user that occupies the property. Forinstance, the drone control device 110 may engage an intruder to deterhim/her from continuing to intrude the property, capture video footageof the detected intrusion, transmit alert notifications to lawenforcement entities, generate an audible alarm sound, transmitinstructions to enable security features of the property, among others.In addition, the drone control device 110 may perform these emergencyactions automatically in response to the detected security breach at theproperty, or in response to commands transmitted locally or remotely bythe user.

FIG. 5B illustrates a top view of a property 500B where the dronecontrol device 110 automatically performs an emergency action. Theillustrated example proceeds according to a sequence of steps “A,” “B,”“C,” and “D” depicted in the figure. At step (A), a sensor 504 and/or acamera 506B detects an intruder 502B through a window 510B of theproperty 500B. At step (B), data collected by the sensor 504B and thecamera 506B are obtained by the drone control device 110, and inresponse, the drone control device 110 detects a likely security breachat the property 500B. The drone control device 110 also determines alocation associated with a user 102 that presently occupies the property500B. At step (C), the drone control device 110 then automaticallynavigates to the determined location for the user 102. At step (D), oncethe drone control device 110 has reached the user's location, the dronecontrol device 110 performs an emergency action. In the exampleillustrated, the user 102 may be some type of authorized user (e.g., aproperty owner, an occupant) that has permission and/or authorization tooccupy the property.

At step (A), the sensor 504B and/or the camera 506B initially detectsthe intruder 502 entering the property through the window 510B. In theexample illustrated, the sensor 504 is a motion sensor that detectsmotion through the window 510B and the camera 506B is a security camerathat periodically captures video footage of a bedroom of the property.Once detected, the sensor 504B and the camera 506B may generate an eventflag associated with the detected motion and captured sensor dataassociated with the detected motion. For example, the sensor 504B mayidentify the window through which the intruder 502B has entered, and thecamera 506B may capture video footage of the room where the window islocated. The captured data is then transmitted to the drone controldevice 110.

At step (B), once the drone control device 110 received the datacollected by the sensor 504B and/or the camera 506B, the drone controldevice 110 initially determines that the detected activity isunauthorized and represents a security breach within the property. Insome instances, this determination can be based on, for example,determining that the detected motion is irregular by comparing thedetected motion against historical sensor data associated with thesensor 504B and the camera 506B. In other instances, the determinationmay additionally or alternatively be based on the motion being detectedat an irregular time point (e.g., 3 AM) or if the type of activityrecorded within the camera 506B indicates that the individual that hasentered through the window 510B is a perpetrator. In other instances,the detected motion may be determined to be an intrusion based on thealarm status of the property 500B.

After determining that the collected sensor data represents a securitybreach, the drone control device 110 then identifies a location of theuser 102 that presently occupies the property using techniques describedabove with respect to FIG. 4B.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may additionallyor alternatively determine a location associated with the detectedsecurity breach within the property 500A. For instance, as describedabove, the location of the security breach may be identified based onthe location of the sensor that captures the irregular activity withinthe property. In the example illustrated, the drone control devicedetermines the nature of the security breach (e.g., a breach in thewindow), and the location of the security breach (e.g., bedroom) basedon obtaining sensor data from the sensor 504B placed on the window 510Band the camera 506B, which records video footage of the bedroom.

In some instances, where the property 500B is determined to be vacantbecause the user 102 is not home when the security breach is detected,instead of determining a location of the user 102, the drone controldevice 110 may instead perform another emergency action. For example,the drone control device 110 may automatically transmit an alertnotification indicating the detected security breach to the user 102and/or a law enforcement agency. In other examples, the drone controldevice 110 may confront the intruder 502B, or generate an audible alarmsound to deter the intruder 502B from the property 500B.

At step (C), the drone control device 110 automatically navigates to thedetermined location for the user 102 within the property 500B. Asdescribed above, the drone control device 110 may use various techniquesto move between a starting point and an ending point of the property500B.

At step (D), once the drone control device 110 navigates to the user'slocation within the property 500B, the drone control device 110 performsa specified emergency action. In the example illustrated, the dronecontrol device 110 provides a notification to the user 102. Thenotification includes an alert indicating the nature of the securitybreach (e.g., a type of intrusion, location of the intrusion) and avideo footage of the location of the intrusion captured by the camera506. The alert notification also provides the user 102 with an option totransmit a distress signal to a law enforcement agency.

As described above, the drone control device 110 may perform emergencyactions in addition to, or as an alternative to, providing the alertnotification to the user 102. For instance, the drone control device 110may take various actions to deter the intruder 502B away from theproperty. For example, the drone control device 110 may generate anaudible alarm sound, adjust the operation of devices located within theproperty to mimic the user's activity near the location of the detectedsecurity breach, or automatically turning lights on near the location.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a process 600A for using a dronecontrol device to verify the identity of a user that enters a property.Briefly, the process 600A may include obtaining data indicating that auser has entered a property (610A), determining that another userassociated with the property is not presently located within theproperty (620A), automatically navigating to an entrance location of theuser (630A), and performing a verification operation to verify that theuser is authorized to enter the property (640A).

In more detail, the process 600A may include obtaining data indicatingthat a user has entered a property (610A). For instance, the dronecontrol device 110 may obtain data indicating that a user has recentlyentered the property through the front door or any other entranceassociated with the property. In some instances, the obtained data iscollected by a motion sensor that is placed on the entrance throughwhich the user enters the property and then transmitted to the dronecontrol device 110. The entrance therefore need not be within the lineof sight of the drone control device 110 when the user enters theproperty. The user can either be an intruder, or an authorized user thathas permission and/or authorization to occupy the property. As discussedbelow, the drone control device 110 performs a set of operations toverify the user's identity in order to determine if the user is anintruder or an authorized user.

In other instances, where the entrance is within the line of sight ofthe drone device 110, the obtained data may additionally, oralternatively, be data collected by on-board sensors of the dronecontrol device 110. For example, a camera of the drone control device110 may determine that a user has entered into the property based oncapturing video footage indicating that a user has entered the propertythrough an entrance within its field of view.

The process 600A may include determining that another user associatedwith the property is not presently located within the property (620A).For instance, the drone control device 110 may determine that theproperty is presently vacant when a user is detected to have entered tothe property. This determination may be based on obtaining motion and/orpresence data and processing it to determine whether the property ispresently occupied by other users. Alternatively, the determination mayalso be based on detecting the presence of user devices of authorizedusers that are pre-associated with a monitoring system of the property.If the drone control device 120 is unable to identify sensor data and/orcommunication transmissions associated with authorized users and/ortheir associated devices, then the drone control device 110 determinesthat the property is presently vacant.

In instances where the property is not vacant and occupied by otherusers, the drone control device 110 may determine whether the users thatoccupy the property are authorized users (e.g., adults with sufficientprivileges). In such instances, the drone control device 110 may performdifferent actions based on whether the users that presently occupy theproperty are authorized or not. For example, if an authorized usercurrently occupies the property, the drone control unit 110 mayterminate the operation described below for verifying the identity of auser that recently entered the property as described below.Alternatively, if a child currently occupies the property, the dronecontrol device 110 may instead perform the operations described belowsince the user that recently entered the property may be an intruder. Insome implementations, the drone control device 110 may determine toperform the verification operations described below based on a currentstatus associated with a user that currently occupies the property. Forexample, if a user is determined to be sleeping and/or occupied byanother activity and unable to notice that a user has entered theproperty, the drone control device 110 may still perform theverification operation even though an authorized user is determined tobe present within the property when another user recently enters theproperty. In another example, if the user that occupies the property isdetermined to be location in a region of the property where he/she maynot have heard the doorbell, then the drone control device 110 maysimilarly perform the verification operation as described below. In thisregard, the drone control device 110 may determine to perform theverification operation based on either the type of user present withinthe property, the status of the user, and/or the location of the userwithin the property.

The process 600A may include automatically navigating to an entrancelocation nearby the user (630A). For instance, if the drone controldevice 110 determines to perform a verification operation, the dronecontrol device 110 automatically navigates to a nearby location of theentrance where the user is detected to have entered the property. Thedrone control device 110 may use similar navigational and movementtechniques to those described above.

The process 600A may include performing a verification operation toverify that the user is authorized to enter the property (640A). Forinstance, once the drone control device 110 has navigated to theentrance location nearby the user, the drone control device 110 mayperform a verification operation to verify that the user that hasrecently entered the property is authorized to do so. In someimplementations, the verification operation involves providing a userinterface for the user to provide an access code associated with themonitoring system of the property. In such implementations, the dronecontrol unit 110 operates analogously to a traditional security panelthat requires a user to provide an access code to prevent the generationof an alarm for unauthorized access.

In other implementations, the drone control device 110 may capturebiometric or image data of the user in order to automatically verify theidentity of a user without requiring any type of manual user input suchas key presses for an access code. For example, the drone control device110 may capture a facial image of the user and use facial recognitiontechniques to determine if the user is included within a list ofauthorized users that are permitted to enter into the property. Inanother example, drone control device 110 may collect one or more of afingerprint, a retinal scan, or some other type of biometric data of theuser and then compare the captured biometric data to a repository ofbiometric data for authorized users who are permitted to access theproperty. In each of these examples, the drone control device 110 maydetermine that the user is authorized to enter the property if collectedimage or biometric data matches corresponding reference data for anauthorized data, indicating that the user has previously entered theproperty. In other instances, the authorized user may be an individualthat has not previously entered the property but is otherwise grantedpermission and/or authority to enter the property (e.g., an independentcontractor hired by a property owner, a real estate agent associatedwith a listing for the property, etc.).

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may performadditional actions if it is unable to verify the user's identity. Forexample, if the user is unable to provide the correct access code, thedrone control device 110 may request answers to predetermined securityquestions that are associated with the property owner's account. Inother instances, if the user who enters the property is not the propertyowner or the resident, the drone control device 110 may initiate a videoor audio conference between the user that has entered into the propertyand the property owner/resident in order to obtain confirmation that theuser is permitted to enter the property.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may alternatebetween performing operations of the process 600A and the operations ofthe process 500A described in FIG. 5A. In some instances, if the dronecontrol device 110 is unable to verify the identity of the user thatrecently enters the property, the drone control device 110 mayautomatically identify the user as an intruder (e.g., the intruder 502Bas illustrated in FIG. 5B). In such instances, the drone control device110 may then reconfigure itself to perform the operations of the process500A. In other instances, this reconfiguration may take placed on based,for example, the present conditions of the property when the user isdetected to have entered the property (e.g., if there are vulnerableusers presently occupying the property), or the security/alarm status ofthe monitoring system of the property when the user is detected to haveentered the property.

FIG. 6B illustrates a top view of a property 600B where the dronecontrol device 110 automatically verifies the identity of a user 602Bthat enters a property 600B. The illustrated example proceeds accordingto a sequence of steps “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D” depicted in the figure. Atstep (A), the user 102 enters the property 600B through its front door.At step (B), the drone device 110 obtains data indicating that the user102 has entered the property 600B. At step (C), the drone control device110 then automatically navigates to an entrance location nearby the user102. At step (D), once the drone control device 110 has reached theentrance location, the drone control device 110 performs a verificationoperation to verify the identity of the user 102 and determine if he/sheis authorized to enter into the property 600B.

In the example, the user 602B may either be an authorized user that haspermission and/or authorization to enter the property 600B, or anintruder that does not have permission and/or authorization to enter theproperty 600B. In some instances, when the user 602B initially entersthe property 600B, the drone control device 110 may not be automaticallycapable of determining the identity of the user 602B, and therefore,performs the verification operation described below in order todetermine whether the user 602B is in fact an authorized user or anintruder. In other instances, which are not illustrated in the figure,where the user 602B is a property owner or an occupant that frequentlyoccupies the property 600B, the drone control device 110 isautomatically able to verify the identity of the user 602B, andtherefore, does not perform the operations illustrated in FIG. 6B.

At step (A), a user 602B initially enters the property 600B through asuitable entrance. In the example illustrated, the user 602B enters theproperty 600B through its front door. In other instances, the user 602Bmay also enter the property through other entrances (e.g., back door,side door, etc.).

At step (B), the drone control device 110 determines that the user 602Bhas recently entered the property. In some instances, this determinationis based on obtaining data collected by one or more motion sensorsnearby the entrance that was opened by the user 602B. In otherinstances, where the entrance that was opened is within the line ofsight of the drone control device 110, this determination mayadditionally, or alternatively, based on data collected by on-boardsensors of the drone control device 110. For example, video footagecaptured by a camera of the drone control device 110 that indicates thatan entrance within its field of view has been opened can be used todetermine that a user has recently entered the property 600B. Inaddition, in some instances where the property 600B includes multipleentrances, the obtained data from the sensors 122 and/or the on-boardsensors can also be used to determine entrance location near the user602B.

At step (C), the drone control device 110 automatically navigates to theentrance location near the user 602B. As described above, the dronecontrol device 110 may use various techniques to move between a startingpoint and an ending point of the property 600B.

At step (D), once the drone control device 110 has reached the entrancelocation, the drone control device 110 performs a verification operationto verify the identity of the user 102 and determines if he/she isauthorized to enter into the property 600B. In the example illustrated,the verification operation includes requesting the user 602B to input anaccess code for the security system of the property 600B. In thisexample, the drone control device 110 may be used by the user 602B as asecurity panel for disabling the alarm status of the security systemwhen a user is detected to have entered the property. Additionally, oralternatively, in other implementations, the drone control device 110may perform other types of verification operations as described above inrelation to FIG. 5A. For example, the drone control device 110 maycapture an image or biometric data of the user 602B, and then comparethe captured data to reference data for a list of authorized users thatare associated with the property 600B. The drone control device 110 canthen determine that the user 602B is authorized to enter the property ifthe captured data matches the reference data for an authorized user.

In some implementations, the drone control device 110 may performadditional actions if it is unable to verify the user's identity. Forexample, if the user is unable to provide the correct access code, thedrone control device 110 may request answers to predetermined securityquestions that are associated with the property owner's account. In someinstances, if the user 602B that enters the property is not the propertyowner or the resident, the drone control device 110 may initiate a videoor audio conference between the user that has entered into the propertyand the property owner/resident in order to obtain confirmation that theuser is permitted to enter the property. In other instances, if thedrone control device 110 is unable to identify the verify user'sidentity by any of these techniques, the drone control device 110 mayinstead enter an alarm status and determine that the user 602B is anintruder. In such instances, the drone control device 120 may performthe operations described above in FIG. 5A, and illustrated in FIG. 5B.FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a process 700 for performing operationsof a security system using a drone control device. Briefly, the process700 may include receiving data associated with a location within aproperty (710), determining a target location within the property (720),automatically navigating to the target location within the property(730), receiving a user input that is associated with an operation ofthe security system (740), and performing the operation of the securitysystem (750).

In more detail, the process 700 may include receiving data associatedwith a location within a property (710). For instance, the drone controldevice 110 may obtain data associated with a location within theproperty 210. The obtained data may include, for example, dataindicating a request from a user to perform a specified operation asdepicted in FIG. 4B, data indicating a detected security breach at theproperty as depicted in FIG. 5B, or data indicating that a user hasrecently entered the property as depicted in FIG. 6B.

In other instances, the drone device 110 may obtain other types of datathat are not illustrated in figures described above. For example, thedrone control device 110 may also obtain sensor data routine collectedthe sensors 122, activity data associated with the HVAC components 124,operation data associated with the appliances 126, or data transmissionsfrom other drone devices located within the property such as theauxiliary drone device 130.

The process 700 may include determining a target location within theproperty (720). For instance, as described in the examples above, thetarget location within the property 210 may be associated with alocation of a user that transmits a request to perform a specifiedoperation as depicted in FIG. 4B, a location of a detected securitybreach as depicted in FIG. 5B, or an entrance location nearby a user whoenters the property as depicted in FIG. 6B. The drone control device 110may determine the target location within the property 210 based on, forexample, data collected by the sensors 122, the appliances 126, thecameras 128, and/or the auxiliary drone device 130 that indicate presentconditions of the property, exchanging data communications with the userdevice 140, or data collected by on-board sensors of the drone controldevice 110.

The process 700 may include automatically navigating to the targetlocation within the property (730). For instance, as described in theexamples above, after determining the target location within theproperty 210, the drone control device 110 may automatically navigate tothe target location. The drone control device 110 may use varioustechniques to move about the property 210 such as flying, walking, orrolling.

The process 700 may include receiving a user input that is associatedwith an operation of the security system (740). For instance, asdescribed in the examples above, the drone control device 110 mayreceive user input that is associated with an operation of the system100. For example, the drone control device 110 may receive a user inputselecting an operation to be performed on a user interface displayed inresponse to a transmitted user request as depicted in FIG. 4B, a userinput relating to performing an emergency action in response to adetected security breach at the property 210 as depicted in FIG. 5B, ora user input including an access code to indicate that a user that hasentered a property is authorized to do so as depicted in FIG. 6B. Ineach of these examples, the received user input may either be receivedon a user interface displayed to the user (e.g., through a displayassociated with the drone control device 110), received using any othertype of human-machine interface (e.g., using an automated speechrecognizer for a speech query input, or optical recognition of gestureinput). In other examples, a combination of these systems may also beused (e.g., a gesture input provided through a device).

The process 700 may include performing the operation of the securitysystem (750). For instance, as described in the examples above, thedrone control device 110 may perform a specified operation of the system100 associated with a received user input. For example, the operationmay include checking the energy usage by devices within the property,generating an alarm signal, or security exits/entrances of the property210 based on a user selection on a user interface as depicted in FIG.4B. In other examples, the operation may include transmitting a distresssignal indicating a detected security breach within the property orengaging an intruder in response to a user instruction as depicted inFIG. 5B. In other examples, the operation may include authorizing a userthat who recently entered the property based on a user input indicatingan access code as depicted in FIG. 6B.

The described systems, methods, and techniques may be implemented indigital electronic circuitry, computer hardware, firmware, software, orin combinations of these elements. Apparatus implementing thesetechniques may include appropriate input and output devices, a computerprocessor, and a computer program product tangibly embodied in amachine-readable storage device for execution by a programmableprocessor. A process implementing these techniques may be performed by aprogrammable processor executing a program of instructions to performdesired functions by operating on input data and generating appropriateoutput. The techniques may be implemented in one or more computerprograms that are executable on a programmable system including at leastone programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructionsfrom, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system,at least one input device, and at least one output device. Each computerprogram may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-orientedprogramming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; andin any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language.Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general and specialpurpose microprocessors. Generally, a processor will receiveinstructions and data from a read-only memory and/or a random accessmemory. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer programinstructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory,including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, such asErasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices;magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks;magneto-optical disks; and Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM). Anyof the foregoing may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, speciallydesigned application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

It will be understood that various modifications may be made. Forexample, other useful implementations could be achieved if steps of thedisclosed techniques were performed in a different order and/or ifcomponents in the disclosed systems were combined in a different mannerand/or replaced or supplemented by other components. Accordingly, otherimplementations are within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A drone control device comprising: a body; amotor that is configured to move the body and navigate the body withinan interior environment of a property; a controller module that isconfigured to control one or more devices of a security system of theproperty; and one or more processors configured to: determine that anemergency condition has likely occurred at the property; determine alocation of a user within the interior environment of the propertyduring the emergency condition determined to have likely occurred at theproperty, move the body to the location of the user by providing asignal to the motor, determine that the body is within a proximity tothe location of the user, and based on determining that the body iswithin a proximity to the location of the user, provide, for output, aninterface that allows the user to submit one or more inputs relating to(i) an alert notification indicating that the emergency condition wasdetermined to likely have occurred at the property, and (ii) aselectable option to provide a communication associated with the alertnotification to another entity.
 2. The drone control device of claim 1,further comprising a network module that is configured to: exchangecommunications with the security system; and receive data associatedwith the location of the user based on exchanging communications withthe security system.
 3. The drone control device of claim 1, wherein:the interface allows the user to submit one or more additional inputsfor performing an operation corresponding to one or more devices of thesecurity system; and the drone device further comprises an input modulethat is configured to receive the one or more additional inputs.
 4. Thedrone control device of claim 3, wherein the input module comprises: adisplay that is configured to present the interface that allows the userto submit the one or more additional inputs; and a keypad that isconfigured to: receive key press data indicating the one or moreadditional inputs, and provide the key press data to the one or moreprocessors.
 5. The drone control device of claim 1, further comprisingone or more sensors that are configured to detect conditions in avicinity of the drone control device within the interior environment ofthe property.
 6. The drone control device of claim 1, wherein the one ormore processors are further configured to: obtain sensor data collectedby the one or more devices of the security system; and determine apresent condition of the property based on the sensor data collected bythe one or more devices of the security system.
 7. The drone controldevice of claim 6, wherein: the sensor data indicates that a window ofthe property has been breached; the present condition of the propertyindicates a possible intrusion of the property by an intruder; the alertnotification indicates the possible intrusion of the property by theintruder; and the selectable option to comprises an option to provide acommunication to a law enforcement agency; and the interface allows theuser to submit one or more additional inputs for performing an operationto provide the communication to the law enforcement agency in responseto receiving a user input through the interface in association with theoption to provide the communication to the law enforcement agency. 8.The drone control device of claim 6, wherein: the sensor data indicatesthat the user has entered the property; the present condition of theproperty indicates that an identity of the user that has entered theproperty is not verified; and the interface that allows the user tosubmit one or more inputs presents a request for the user to provide anaccess code associated with the security system of the property.
 9. Thedrone control device of claim 8, wherein: the interface allows the userto submit one or more additional inputs for performing an operationcorresponding to one or more devices of the security system; the one ormore processors are further configured to: receive data indicating asubmitted access code provided by the user in response to the requestpresented by the interface, determine that the submitted access codedoes not match the access code associated with the security system ofthe property, and determine that the user is not authorized to accessthe property based on determining that the submitted access code doesnot match the access code associated with the security system of theproperty; and the operation corresponding to the one or more devices ofthe security system comprises triggering, by the controller module, analarm condition associated with the security system based on determiningthat the user is not authorized to access the property.
 10. The dronecontrol device of claim 8, wherein: the interface allows a user tosubmit one or more additional inputs for performing an operationcorresponding to one or more devices of the security system; the one ormore processors are further configured to: receive data indicating asubmitted access code provided by the user in response to the requestpresented by the interface, determine that the submitted access codematches the access code associated with the security system of theproperty, and determine that the user is authorized to access theproperty based on determining that the submitted access code matches theaccess code associated with the security system of the property; and theoperation corresponding to the one or more devices of the securitysystem comprises disabling, by the controller module, an alarm conditionassociated with the security system based on determining that the useris authorized to access the property.
 11. A computer-implemented methodcomprising: determining, by a drone control device associated with asecurity system of a property, that an emergency condition has likelyoccurred at the property, wherein the drone control device is configuredto control operations of one or more devices of the security system;determining, by the drone control device, a location of a user within aninterior environment of the property during the emergency conditiondetermined to have likely occurred at the property; providing, by thedrone control device, a signal to a motor of the drone control device tomove a body of the drone control device to the location of the user;determining, by the drone control device, that the body is within aproximity to the location of the user; and based on determining that thebody is within a proximity to the location of the user, providing, bythe drone control device and for output, an interface that allows a userto submit one or more inputs relating to (i) an alert notificationindicating that the emergency condition was determined to likely haveoccurred at the property, and (ii) a selectable option to provide acommunication associated with the alert notification to another entity.12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: obtaining, by the dronecontrol device, sensor data collected by the one or more devices of thesecurity system; and determining, by the drone control device, a presentcondition of the property based on the sensor data collected by the oneor more devices of the security system.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein: the sensor data indicates that a window of the property hasbeen breached; the present condition of the property indicates apossible intrusion of the property by an intruder; the alertnotification indicates the possible intrusion of the property by theintruder; the selectable option comprises an option to provide acommunication to a law enforcement agency; and the interface allows auser to submit one or more additional inputs for performing an operationto provide the communication to the law enforcement agency in responseto receiving a user input through the interface in association with theoption to provide the communication to the law enforcement agency. 14.The method of claim 12, wherein: the sensor data indicates that the userhas entered the property; the present condition of the propertyindicates that an identity of the user that has entered the property isnot verified; and the interface that allows the user to submit one ormore inputs presents a request for the user to provide an access codeassociated with the security system of the property.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein: the interface allows the user to submit one or moreadditional inputs for performing an operation corresponding to one ormore devices of the security system; the method further comprises:receiving, by the drone control device, data indicating a submittedaccess code provided by the user in response to the request presented bythe interface, determining, by the drone control device, that thesubmitted access code does not match the access code associated with thesecurity system of the property; and determining, by the drone controldevice, that the user is not authorized to access the property based ondetermining that the submitted access code does not match the accesscode associated with the security system of the property; and whereinthe operation corresponding to the one or more devices of the securitysystem comprises triggering, by the drone control device, an alarmcondition associated with the security system based on determining thatthe user is not authorized to access the property.
 16. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage device encoded with computer programinstructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the oneor more computers to perform operations comprising: determining, by adrone control device associated with a security system of a property,that an emergency condition has likely occurred at the property, whereinthe drone control device is configured to control operations of one ormore devices of the security system; determining, by the drone controldevice, a location of a user within an interior environment of theproperty during the emergency condition determined to have likelyoccurred at the property; providing, by the drone control device, asignal to a motor of the drone control device to move a body of thedrone control device to the location of the user; determining, by thedrone control device, that the body is within a proximity to thelocation of the user; and based on determining that the body is within aproximity to the location of the user, providing, by the drone controldevice and for output, an interface that allows a user to submit one ormore inputs relating to (i) an alert notification indicating that theemergency condition was determined to likely have occurred at theproperty, and (ii) a selectable option to provide a communicationassociated with the alert notification to another entity.
 17. The deviceof claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: obtaining, by thedrone control device, sensor data collected by the one or more devicesof the security system; and determining, by the drone control device, apresent condition of the property based on the sensor data collected bythe one or more devices of the security system.
 18. The device of claim17, wherein: the sensor data indicates that a window of the property hasbeen breached; the present condition of the property indicates apossible intrusion of the property by an intruder; the alertnotification indicates the possible intrusion of the property by theintruder; the selectable option comprises an option to provide acommunication to a law enforcement agency; and the interface allows auser to submit one or more additional inputs for performing an operationto provide the communication to the law enforcement agency in responseto receiving a user input through the interface in association with theoption to provide the communication to the law enforcement agency. 19.The device of claim 17, wherein: the sensor data indicates that the userhas entered the property; the present condition of the propertyindicates that an identity of the user that has entered the property isnot verified; and the interface that allows the user to submit one ormore inputs presents a request for the user to provide an access codeassociated with the security system of the property.
 20. The device ofclaim 19, wherein: the interface allows the user to submit one or moreadditional inputs for performing an operation corresponding to one ormore devices of the security system; the operations further comprise:receiving, by the drone control device, data indicating a submittedaccess code provided by the user in response to the request presented bythe interface, determining, by the drone control device, that thesubmitted access code does not match the access code associated with thesecurity system of the property; and determining, by the drone controldevice, that the user is not authorized to access the property based ondetermining that the submitted access code does not match the accesscode associated with the security system of the property; and whereinthe operation corresponding to the one or more devices of the securitysystem comprises triggering, by the drone control device, an alarmcondition associated with the security system based on determining thatthe user is not authorized to access the property.